Mar 23: E-Stories
Day758 RuMassiveAttack CombatSit BehindLines InRussia Crocus Allies EUSummit Trump House A&P Avdeeva ISW UKDef CDS NoelReport KyivIndie Kapparov Tsikhanouvskaya EUMichel Casinge MHaring
Catching up…
EA Worldview’s Ukraine Up-date- hop over to Scott’s amazing hourly Ukraine up-date page. I’ll fill in with some bits and bobs.
This is the crater the Russian missile strike in Zaporizhzhia left in the middle of a residential area.
Moscow terror: I’ll be preparing a post with what we know about the Crocus City Hall massacre. In the ‘In Russia’ section, I’ve left the only post I was going to put in because it was the last thing I had seen in the news before recording with Olga.
Stories we’re following…
Air Force: Ukraine downs 92 of 151 Russian aerial targets overnight on March 22. According to the Air Force report, 55 Shahed-type drones, 35 Kh-101/Kh-555 cruise missiles, and two Kh-59 guided cruise missiles were downed by Ukrainian forces.
Zelensky urges EU leaders to give Ukraine shells, air defense systems in address to European Council. President Volodymyr Zelensky delivered an address to the European Council summit on March 21, urging EU leaders to provide Ukraine with more weapons, namely ammunition and air defense systems.
On March 22, over 60 Shahed drones and about 90 missiles were fired at Ukraine. In Zaporizhzhia missile hit a trolleybus with people moving across the Dnipro HPP dam.
One of the power lines at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is down. Critical energy infrastructure facilities in Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipro, Vinnytsia, Khmelnytskyi, Lviv, Sumy, and Ivano-Frankivsk regions have been hit. At least 7 people have been killed and 15 others injured.
Update: The strikes had affected around 700,000 residents in Kharkiv region, at least 200,000 each in the southern Odesa and southeastern Dnipropetrovsk regions and 110,000 in the Poltava region, according to Oleksiy Kuleba, deputy head of the presidential administration.
It is reported that over 15 missiles were aimed for the city and its region, reportedly hitting 5 substations. Currently, the energy system of Ukraine receives emergency aid from Romania, Slovakia and Poland.
Dnipro HPP is in a critical condition - there were two direct hits, director of Ukrhydroenergo Ihor Syrota said. "We will have to completely restore the engine room and electrical equipment. We will calculate the consequences during the day and understand what happened. And will she be able to work."
As a result of the attack on the Dnipro HPP, a large-scale leak of petroleum products into the Dnipro river occurred, the State Environmental Inspectorate reports.
The residential area of Khmelnytskyi was hit:
President Zelensky on the massive Russian attacks of Mar 22:
This night, Russia launched over 60 "Shahed" drones and nearly 90 missiles of various types at Ukraine. The world sees the Russian terrorists' targets as clearly as possible: power plants and energy supply lines, a hydroelectric dam, ordinary residential buildings, and even a trolleybus. Russia is at war with people's everyday lives. My condolences to the loved ones of those killed by this terror.
In all of the cities affected by the attack, the necessary services have already been deployed. Rescuers, power engineers, regional and local authorities, police and utility services are helping people. Nobody will be left without assistance. Electrical power is being restored. Recovery in Kharkiv and its region, Zaporizhzhia, Sumy, Poltava, Dnipro, Odesa, Khmelnytskyi and its region, Vinnytsia, and Ivano-Frankivsk has begun as of last night.
Russian missiles have no delays, unlike aid packages for Ukraine. "Shahed" drones have no indecision, unlike some politicians. It is critical to understand the cost of delays and postponed decisions.
Patriot systems must protect Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia; air defense is required to protect people, infrastructure, homes, and dams. Our partners know exactly what is needed. They can definitely support us. These are necessary decisions. Life must be protected from these savages from Moscow.
Combat Situation Update
Syrskyi: Ukraine's forces 'stabilize situation' in the east. The Ukrainian forces managed to "stabilize the situation" in the country's east, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on March 21.
Military intelligence: Russia's railway to Crimea is 'important target' for Ukraine. The railway Russia is constructing in the occupied territories of Ukraine, which leads to Crimea, is "a serious challenge" and "an important target" for Kyiv, Andrii Yusov, a spokesperson of Ukraine's military intelligence, said on March 21.
ISW stressed that Russia’s top brass appeared to be building up reserve forces to “backfill” heavy battlefield losses so that a summer offensive can be launched w/o “taking a significant operational pause” from more limited spring attacks.
Ukraine has already had to make difficult decisions regarding the placement of its limited air defense systems in rear and frontline areas, and Russian forces have recently made efforts to strain Ukrainian air defenses both in rear population areas and along the frontline.
Pressing shortages in air defense systems and missiles will likely dramatically reduce Ukraine’s ability to defend against Russian strikes both in rear and frontline areas in the coming weeks if not addressed rapidly.
The first group of Ukrainian pilots graduated from F-16 training in the UK. The 10 pilots received basic flying, ground school and language training.
Russia continues to redeploy Black Sea Fleet from Crimea, Ukraine promises ‘new steps’ to target it. Russia is continuing the redeployment of its Black Sea Fleet from occupied Crimea to the relative safety of Novorossiysk after yet more successful strikes on its ships, Ukraine’s military intelligence reported on March 21.
Vasily Nebenzya: “Given that the Armed Forces of Ukraine have not been fighting with their weapons for a long time, we can say that the goal of our SVO to demilitarize Ukraine has been achieved," Vasily Nebenzya, Permanent Representative of Russia to the United Nations, said.
Me: For the life of me, I just cannot understand how a grown man can actually say this in front of the WORLD. It’s simply not possible. Really. Most people would have a smidgen of self-respect…even a tiny tiny iota…enough to say, “I can’t say this.” Yet we have Russia’s representative at the United Nations saying they have achieved a victory. That’s masterclass insane.
Behind the Lines
Russia has launched the country's first program to train officials for the occupied territories of Ukraine. The Russian Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA) will train civil servants to work in the Lugansk, Donetsk, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions, the university’s press service told Vedomosti.
“The federal center is faced with the task of ensuring political stability in new regions, so the demand for qualified specialists in domestic politics has increased many times,” explained the director of the educational program, Alexey Borisenkov.
Meanwhile in Russia
"Crocus City Hall. It is reported that the roof of the building is collapsing due to the fire.”
The Moscow Times: Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) has arrested seven Moscow residents they claim to be linked to a pro-Kyiv militia accused of attacking Russia's border regions, state news agencies reported on Friday.
Several prisons in Russia’s Krasnoyarsk region to close because army recruitment has led to fewer prisoners, official says. What this means is that Russia is emptying its prisons and sending these criminals to the fight on the front in Ukraine, or even worse, act as occupation forces in temporarily occupied Ukrainian territory.
Peskov finds the need to justify Russia’s war against Ukraine by placing the blame on the West as per usual. It’s NATO, it’s Ukrainian nazis, it’s American biolabs, it’s my Grandmother. The truth is that Russia has been planning a full scale invasion for 19 years and the first phase was in 2014. We simply don’t know exactly how the war will extend to other areas and when as we don’t have knowledge of the next steps. Our military and intelligence communities have published their assessments which are based on information they have collected.
The sanctions that the United States imposed on Sovcomflot turned out to be the most effective blow yet to the shadow fleet that Russia has assembled to transport its oil. Following Reliance Industries, India's largest private oil refining company, all the country's refineries refused to work with the Russian carrier.
Both private and state-owned refiners, including sector leader, state-owned Indian Oil, have stopped accepting cargo delivered by Sovcomflot, Bloomberg reported , citing people familiar with the situation in the Indian oil industry. According to them, the refineries carefully check the data on each tanker to make sure that it is not associated with Sovcomflot or any other sanctioned organization.
These are the nations that have congratulated the dictator of Russia for his renewed dictatorship:
Allied Support
Bloomberg: US backs plan to issue $50 billion in bonds from frozen Russian assets. The United States proposed to the Group of Seven (G7) countries that they establish a special-purpose vehicle (SPV) to issue $50 billion in bonds from profits generated by frozen Russian assets and use the proceeds to support Ukraine, Bloomberg reported on March 21.
NATO military delegation visits Kyiv for first time since start of full-scale invasion. Admiral Rob Bauer gave a speech at the Kyiv Security Forum, in which he said that his visit "is testament to the fact that NATO and Ukraine are closer than they have ever been."
Estonian PM: Russian defeat will help prevent WWIII. "We want to have peace, but we want to have sustainable peace and peace on Russia's terms is not sustainable," Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said.
Austrian chancellor opposes profits from frozen Russian assets being used to buy weapons for Ukraine. While some leaders, such as German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo backed the idea, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer publicly voiced opposition to the proposal.
Paris and Berlin have reached an agreement that will allow the Franco-German company KNDS, which produces, in particular, tanks, to create a branch in Ukraine, French Defense Minister Lecornu reported after talks with German counterpart Pistorius.
Anti-Putin rally in Georgia: Putin-Shit.
Mar 21: European Union Commission Summit
This is the summary of the first day of proceedings, which faced issues pertaining to Ukraine, the Middle East, European defence and the accession processes for Ukraine and Moldova:
The leaders also discussed the issue of using windfall profits of frozen Russian assets. Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, “there is a strong support to use” the profits “for military purposes for Ukraine.”
The EU leaders agreed that “further to the submission of the draft negotiating frameworks for Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova, the European Council invites the Council to swiftly adopt them and to take work forward without delay.”
They also decided to open accession negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Von der Leyen, the European Commission chief, said there is a proposal “to increase tariffs on Russian and Belarusian imports of cereals, oil seeds and derived products.”
“The EU calls for an immediate humanitarian pause leading to a sustainable ceasefire. Full & safe humanitarian access into Gaza is essential to provide the civilian population with life-saving assistance in a catastrophic situation in Gaza,” he said.
Orbán, broke ranks with his European counterparts and congratulated Vladimir Putin on his “re-election”.
EU Commission Summit Day 2- Mar 22
The EU is set to impose a tariff of up to 50% on Russia grain imports amid fears that the Kremlin could flood the bloc with cut cost wheat to destabilise the European market
The proposal, unveiled by the EU commission president von der Leyen, follows a plea yesterday to EU leaders by President Zelensky, to do something about grain “stolen” from occupied territories by the Russians.
“We propose the imposition of tariffs on these Russian imports to mitigate the growing risk to our markets and our farmers. They will reduce Russia’s capacity to exploit the EU for the benefit of its war machine,” she said.
House approves $1.2 trillion package of spending bills before shutdown deadline. The bill passed by a vote of 286-134 and now moves to the Senate, where leadership hopes for a final vote later Friday. More than 70% of the money would go to defense.
France24: Melinda Haring at the Atlantic Council explains why the House must move quickly on securing aid to Ukraine.
Republican Marjorie Taylor Green said she did not 'yet' file a motion to vacate, but she said she definitely will, just after the house passed a $1.2 trillion spending bill. Which now goes to the Senate. She said that it’s a warning and that it’s time to change the speaker of the House. (Batshit crazy: we know why she’s doing this, but frankly, I have no idea how anyone can think these representatives will not continue using these blackmail tactics in 2025.)
Donald Trump’s social media company merged with a cash-rich shell corporation, a move that raises his wealth by billions. The deal’s approval comes as Mr. Trump is facing a Monday deadline to cover a $454 million penalty in a civil fraud case in New York.
Excellent.
Wondering: Was Moscow attack ISIS as claimed making Putin vulnerable like Netanyahu for 10/7; or is the attack created by Putin to act like Beslan school of prior years, such that Putin came blame Ukraine and step up his attacks? Takes me back to Wednesday’s Kremlin Lounge Zoom meeting.